1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to miniature electrical switches, and deals more specifically with a switch designed with a minimum number of component parts, and wherein the fixed contacts can be identical to one another while nevertheless providing for sliding movement of the moveable contact across the upper ends of these fixed contacts.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Miniature electrical rocker switches of the type designed to be fabricated from a minimum number of parts have been available for some time, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,417 issued in 1982 to the inventor herein. The switch described in the '417 patent includes a pivoted actuator or rocker having a depending portion that is received in an opening provided for it in the moveable contact. A spring is provided on this depending portion for engaging the moveable contact and causing that moveable contact to move across the upper ends of the fixed contacts. In this '417 switch configuration of the prior art, the fixed contacts configurations require that these parts be individually fabricated. That is, they cannot be fabricated of identical construction, leading to increased expense particularly in the illuminated version of such a switch.
Prior art rocker switches generally provide for the rocker to be pivotably mounted in the center of the switch case housing directly over the centered fixed contact so that equal angular travel is provided in each direction. Special purpose rocker switches have been proposed where the pivot is not provided in the center of the switch case, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,318 issued to the inventor herein. However in the '318 rocker switch the offset pivot of the rocker is provided to harness the spring acting on the moveable contact as a means for returning the rocker and moveable contact to a switch off position. The center fixed terminal is not aligned with the rocker pivot axis in this '318 patent disclosure.